It mattered very little that others in District 6-5A might see St. Paul’s as being somewhat vulnerable in the 2014 season. The focus in the Wolves' spring practice centered on shoring up areas on both sides the ball and identifying players that will take to the field in the team’s season opener at home against Edna Karr on September 5.

"I thought our kids did a good job and had a great attitude,” St. Paul’s coach Ken Sears said. “They had great enthusiasm throughout the spring. Offensively, we accomplished the goals that we wanted to, and defensively, we have a lot of work to do.”

The Wolves finished the 2013 season with a 7-4 overall record and were co-champions in 6-5A with a 6-1 record that concluded with a 21-14 overtime loss to Shaw in the regional round of the Division I playoffs. In year two of the no-huddle offense, senior quarterback Ryan O’Krepki is back at the helm, with junior running back Brandon Eberts and senior wide receiver Jalen McClesky for key experience at the skilled positions.

Spring practice concluded with the Pie Bowl, an intrasquad scrimmage in Hunter Stadium, and Sears feels like there is still work to be done for the team to make a return to the postseason.

"On defense, we’ve still got to figure out some pieces of the puzzle and have a long way to go,” he said. “But, I think we took some positive steps to improve as a team, and the next format for us to get better is during the summer.”

During the intrasquad scrimmage, the offense displayed the ability to move the ball up the field on long pass plays, but the defense showed flashes of catching up and creating pressure in the backfield.